| Diseases and Disorders |
| All reptiles, large or small, should have veterinary care. They need care and fecal checks just like any other animal! It is strongly recommended that you search out a qualified reptile veterinarian prior to purchasing your leopard gecko. INTERNAL PARASITES All new reptiles should be tested for internal parasites and carefully checked for external parasites. A cheap fecal exam can test for parasites and will enable your vet to prescribe the necessary treatment should parasites be discovered. The typical symptoms of internal parasites include runny stools, caked an/or smeared diarrhea around the vent area, loss of appetite, loss of weight and listlessness. RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS Respiratory infections are characterized by a puffed up appearance of the body and occasional gaping followed by forced exhalations. Other symptoms include listlessness and loss of appetite. Usually increasing the enclosure temperature to 85-88F with no drop in the temperature at night clears up the respiratory infection. However a veterinary consultation is recommended. STRESS Leopard geckos, especially hatchlings and juveniles should not be handled excessively as it can be rather stressful on them. Keep in mind that stress in humans makes us sick and tired, while stress in reptiles can kill them. AUTOTOMY Leopard geckos have an interesting defense mechanism that they share with other lizards. Their tail breaks off very easily and the detached tail twitches, likely to distract the predator so the leopard gecko can escape. They can also drop their tail if it is grabbed there. Leopard geckos also have fragile toes which can easily be broken or injured when urgently removed from branches, bark or even clothing. In the event of an injury such as this, just be sure to keep the affected area clean and watch for any signs of infection. You may want to clean the area out with a cleanser such as hydrogen peroxide, and then apply a topical antibiotic ointment. |